1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an indirect process for electrolytically initiating the polymerization of ethylenically unsaturated monomers. More specifically, the present invention provides an indirect electrolytic polymerization process utilizing a free radical initiator and an electron transfer agent in a two-phase system capable of carrying an electric current.
2. Description of Art
Direct electrolytic polymerization processes are well known. For example, it is known that polymerization can be initiated electrolytically by passing an electric current between an anode and a cathode contained in a suitable mixture. Such mixtures are generally one phase and include monomers and electrolytes. However, such polymerizations have not been entirely satisfactory in that they require high amounts of energy to initiate polymerization and have limited utility in that polymerization occurs at the surface of an electrode eventually coating the electrode and blocking the current passage through the system. Further, many of these electrochemical polymerization processes have been used only with monomers present in concentrations which are completely soluble in the electrochemical mixture.
Indirect electrolytic polymerization processes, those which do not directly utilize electrode reactions for generating the active initiating species, have been more recently developed. Typically, these polymerizations utilize an electron transfer which allows polymerization to occur in the medium and not at an electrode surface. However, present indirect electrolytic polymerizations are restricted by the solubility limits of the monomers employed and require high concentrations of the electron transferrer.
The general object of this invention is to provide an electrolytically initiated polymerization process for polymerizing ethylenically unsaturated monomers. Another object of the invention is to provide an electrolytically initiated polymerization process capable of polymerizing ethylenically unsaturated monomers in concentration above their solubility limits. A further object of the invention is to provide an electrolytic initiated polymerization process utilizing a two-phase system capable of carrying an electric current and containing low concentrations of electron transfer agents and polymerization initiator sources. A still further object of the present invention is to provide an electrolytic initiated polymerization process which utilizes a recycleable electron transfer agent.